A landlord in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, is currently in the hospital following a shooting incident that his family believes was triggered by a contentious eviction process. Jim Primeau, aged 57, was shot in the backyard of his rental property on June 4th while an evicted tenant was removing her belongings. Although Primeau survived the shooting, he sustained a spinal cord injury that led to a four-day medically induced coma.
Peggy Epp, Primeau’s sister, expressed that this event has significantly impacted their lives, especially as they now take on the role of caregivers for him. She emphasized the need for changes in the eviction procedures in the province following what she described as a legal but unsafe eviction that resulted in her brother being shot.
According to Epp, the situation escalated after a woman approached Primeau in March seeking accommodation but could only afford partial rent. Despite allowing her to move in after accepting half a month’s rent, the tenant failed to pay rent for the subsequent three months. Primeau followed the legal eviction process by obtaining a court order from the Office of Residential Tenancies, leading to the eviction day on June 4th.
Epp recounted that Primeau contacted her, expressing that his life had been threatened by the tenant. Shortly after, a man arrived at the property and shot Primeau without giving him a chance to respond. The police responded to the shooting, noting that the suspect and the victim were acquainted, and had been called to the property earlier that day due to a disturbance. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with the case.
Epp highlighted the failure of the system in her brother’s case and emphasized the need for an overhaul to prevent similar incidents. Landon Field, CEO of Rental Housing Saskatchewan, echoed these sentiments, mentioning the increasing prevalence of such stories and advocating for a safer environment for all involved in rental transactions. Field also acknowledged the challenges faced by small landlords in navigating the legal processes and is working on proposing amendments to streamline the system.
Despite the challenges, Epp remains hopeful and plans to collaborate with other landlords in Prince Albert to champion for necessary changes. She emphasized their compassionate nature but expressed anger at the situation. Additionally, Primeau’s sisters have initiated a GoFundMe campaign to aid in his recovery process.